User:Taz/Sandbox-Epic Quests

Proposed additions to Epic Quests

Original page is great overall BUT missing two major things I'd like to see added:

1. Links to epic deeds where applicable, and

2. Info on quest chaining, ie, where a player can jump into the epic questline without having completed prior sections (and, consequently, which sections require prior sections to be completed first).

At the same time, update the page's intro by updating the titles paragraph, or folding that info into any display of deed information.

Main purpose to a sandbox preview is to avoid unnecessarily polluting a very clean original page while I play with formatting. (Revision sandbox concept and poorly-understood wiki markup shamelessly stolen from User:Magill/Sandbox-Quest Log.)

Current page LIKES: simple, table-of-contents-like index to epic books along with their lore descriptions.

Current page DISLIKES: No player info, deed list, doesn't help a player drill down to specifics. (Example: Player A doesn't want to do all epics but wants Ranger cosmetics. Where to start?)

-- Taz (talk) 05:12, 11 June 2013 (EDT)

• TODO: verify vol4 entry points
• TODO: verify which Vol.2 quests can be started concurrently with book 2 & book 9. 6, 7, 8?
• DONE: verified Vol.1 prologue quests can be started concurrently with vol.1 books 1-4 & 6.
• DONE: verified vol.1 book 7 cannot be started until book 6 is completed.
• MAYBEDONE: fix collapsible spoiler box(es) in Player Notes section. (unwound a misbehaving template)
• ABANDONED: fix Epic Deed transclusion (was transcluding wrong page, but correct page's layout won't work here; will boil it down)

Player Notes

Epic Quest Chaining

Epic quests are almost entirely optional, and many books can be skipped entirely if desired. While many players will do Epic quests as they level, others may skip sections and go back later to complete some or all of the Epic.

The "volumes" are separate and can be done concurrently if desired. The "books" are chains of several "chapter" quests, so you must start a given book with its Chapter 1 quest (or optional Prologue/Foreword quest). Some books can be started concurrently with other books in the same volume, but most require completion of the preceeding book.

Below is a list of entrance points where players can start an epic quest without completing previous books. The levels listed are those of the quests themselves; typically they can be obtained by characters up to 5 levels below the quest level.

Volume I Entrance Points

Prologue: [5-7]. Dwarf: Starts with Skógi at Thorin's Gates [5]. Elf: Starts with Eilian at Celondim [5]. Hobbit: Starts with Mundo Sackville-Baggins at Little Delving [7]. Man: Starts with Jon Brackenbrook at Archet [5]. All 4 racial Prologue quests can be started and progressed concurrently, if desired. The Elf and Dwarf quest chains join up around level 11; if you're already on the joined quests from one prologue, you won't be able to start the other prologue until you complete or cancel the chain you're on. Book 1: Start with the Foreword or Chapter 1 [15]. Book 2: Start with Chapter 1 [22]. Book 3: Start with the Foreword or Chapter 1 [34]. Book 4: Start with the Foreword or Chapter 1 [37]. Book 6: Start with the Foreword or Chapter 1 [44].

Volume II Entrance Points
Prologue: Start from Barbethnir in Rivendell [50]. Book 1: Start with Chapter 1 from Ráthwald in Nan Sirannon [50]. (more research needed; one or more of books 6-8 can be started concurrently with books 2-5 or so) Book 9: Start the Foreword from Haldir [61].

Volume III Entrance Points

Prologue: Start from Pethelen in Rivendell [65]. Book 4: Start Chapter 1 from Corunir in Zudrugund [65]. Book 7: Start Chapter 1 from Galadriel in Caras Galadhon [75]. Starting Book 7 without completing Book 6 requires access to Caras Galadhon, either by gaining Friend standing with the Galadhrim (for players with the Lothlorien questpack), by using Mithril Coins to travel to the interior stablemaster, or by getting teleported by another player with access. Players cannot use the rope by the gate if Book 6 has not been completed. Book 11: Start Chapter 1 from Hunbald at Entwade, Nona at Nona's Cave, or Elrond in Rivendell [86]. Access to Books 11-14 requires purchase of the Helm's Deep expansion.

Volume IV Entrance Points
Book 1: Start Chapter 1 from Eowyn in Dunharrow [95]. Book 4: Start Chapter 1 from Damrod in Osgiliath Culverts or Man of Gondor outside Minas Tirith main gate [100]. Book 7: Start Chapter 1 from Aragorn at Aragorn's Pavilion (if you have not completed Chapter 6) or Threshold of the City in after-battle Pelennor Fields [105]. Book 8: Start Chapter 1 from Aragorn at Camp of the Host [105].

Black Book of Mordor Entrance Points

Note: Completion of Epic Vol IV Book 9 is a hard prerequisite for starting the Black Book of Mordor at Ch.1. Access to Chapters 1-??? of the Black Book requires purchase of the Mordor expansion. BB Ch.1: Start at Mithrandir in the Wastes near the Black Gate [36.9S, 3.5W] [106]. BB Interlude (after BB Ch.10): Start Interlude: Shades in the Swamp from Gandalf inside Beorninghús [120]. BB Ch.11 begins after the Interlude.

Area & Skirmish Access

Most areas in the game are accessible without doing any epic quests, but there are two major exceptions where completing certain epic quests is required to unlock access to part of the game landscape. Additionally, there are several "epic skirmishes" unlocked throughout the epic quests.

Landscape Access

Conqueror of the Watching-stones: Crossing Angmar (via landscape travel across the Rammas Deluon) requires the passive characteristic Conqueror of the Watching-stones, awarded during Vol.I Book VI [46]. Entering Gath Forthnir and crossing the watching-stones around Maethad also requires the characteristic. Hunters and Captains can port other players of level 25+ across this boundary, but players without the characteristic will be instantly defeated when approaching the watching-stones. A defeated player may be resurrected across the boundary. Seeker of Deep Places: Entering Moria (and landscape travel to Rhovanion) requires the passive characteristic Seeker of Deep Places, awarded at the end of Vol.II Book I [50]. Completing this book also unlocks access to Legendary Items and associated NPCs. Hunters and Captains can port other players of level 37+ to the Mirk-eaves. Players who have not completed the Mirkwood introductory area will arrive in the introductory layer while players who have completed it will arrive in a post-introductory layer. Entering Mordor (via landscape travel from the Wastes) requires completion of Vol.IV Book 9. There does not appear to be a player-visible passive characteristic providing this access. Hunters and Captains can port other players of level 85+ to Gorgoroth. Players can also use the Mysterious Door housing decoration to teleport past the boundary. Access to Mordor Besieged requires completing objective 5 of BB Ch.11.2. Blazon items at Díngarth (Blazon of the Great Alliance) and Ruins of Díngarth (Blazon of the Last Alliance) appear and allow travelling between the two time periods. Hunters and Captains can port other players of level 105+ to Mordor Besieged. Players of level 115+ who have completed BB Ch.11.2 may use the Blazon of the Great Alliance housing decoration to teleport there.

Skirmish Access
Epic Skirmishes are unlocked during Volumes II and III. These skirmishes are free to all players but cannot be entered until assigned as an objective during the specified epic quest. Vol.II Book 5 Ch.5 [59] unlocks three skirmishes in Moria. Vol.II Book 9 [62-65] unlocks five more in Mirkwood. Vol.II Book 1 Ch.8 [65] unlocks one in Angmar.